R&D-REPORT
Report from a survey among participants of the project
“Retraining and Social Adaptation of Military Officers and their Family Members in Ukraine”
Bjørn Willy Åmo Olga Iermolenko
Nord University R&D-Report no. 38 Bodø 2019
ISBN 978-82-7456-799-3 ISSN 2535-2733
Print: Trykkeriet, Nord University www.nord.no
Nord University R&D-Report no. 38 ISBN 978-82-7456-799-3 ISSN 2535-2733 Bodø 2019
Report from a survey among participants of the project
“Retraining and Social Adaptation of Military Officers and their Family Members in Ukraine”
Bjørn Willy Åmo
Olga Iermolenko
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Report from a survey among participants of the project
“Retraining and Social Adaptation of Military Officers and their Family Members in Ukraine”
Bjørn Willy Åmo, Associate Professor, PhD Olga Iermolenko, Researcher, PhD
Nord University Business School
High North Centre for Business and Governance
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Contents
Introduction ... 5
The aim of the report ... 5
The project ... 5
The goals of the project ... 5
The participating organizations ... 6
Method ... 9
Descriptive statistics ... 21
The results ... 23
What the graduates do now ... 23
The transition to a civilian life ... 24
Entrepreneurship and business ownership ... 27
The impact of the course ... 29
The project’s input ... 34
Contribution to Ukraine‐Norway relations and future cooperation ... 40
What to improve ... 40
Conclusions ... 43
The goals ... 43
The educational offerings ... 43
Who responded ... 43
Employment... 44
Entrepreneurs ... 44
Their living conditions ... 44
The project’s input ... 45
What the alumni participants want for their colleagues ... 45
Main lessons learned ... 46
Appendix ... 47
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Introduction
The aim of the report
The aim of this analysis was to evaluate both the impact of the Norwegian
“Ukraine‐Norway” project, “Retraining and Social Adaptation of Military Officers and their Family Members in Ukraine” in 2015‐2018 and the participants’
perception of this project.
The project
The “Ukraine‐Norway” project (hereafter, the project) is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. It is coordinated by Nord University Business School / High North Centre for Business and Governance1 on the part of Norway and by the International Foundation for Social Adaptation (IFSA) on the part of Ukraine.
The main aim of the project is to reduce the negative social consequences of military and economic reforms in Ukraine for retired military personnel and their family members, and to promote cooperation between Norway and Ukraine.
Participants in the project are: members of the Ukrainian armed forces and other law enforcement agencies, retired or those who will be released within a year, participants of anti‐terroristic operations (ATO), and their family members.
The goals of the project
The project consists of the professional retraining of the participants to the tune of 500 academic hours (3‐4 months, depending on the syllabus), psychological and legal adaptation, and assistance in employment and starting their own businesses. The following are the tasks of the project:
1 Later High North Centre
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To retrain military personnel and their family members in civil specialties that are in demand in the employment market in Ukraine, in order to increase their professional competitiveness;
To provide participants with psychological adaptation, in order to increase their motivation for active social adaptation to civilian society;
To provide participants with legal adaptation, in order to improve their social protection in the conditions of life in a civilian society;
To provide participants with employment assistance, in order to improve the living conditions of their families;
To provide participants with assistance in the creation of their own (family) businesses in conditions of unemployment in Ukraine;
To promote further cooperation between educational and business institutions in Ukraine and Norway.
The participating organizations
Since the project’s inception in 2003, it has to date enrolled and re‐trained 9341 people. Thirty‐nine Ukrainian cities and towns and more than 20 higher education institutions participated in the project between 2003 and 2018. In the period from January 2015 to June 2018 (during seven study semesters), 3538 people were enrolled and re‐trained in 20 different cities in Ukraine – in the north (Kyiv, Chernihiv), centre (Vinnytsya, Kropyvnytsky), east (Dnipro, Zaporizhzhya), south (Mykolayiv, Odesa, Melitopol), and west (L’viv, Lutsk, Ternopil, Chortkiv, Ivano‐Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Volodymyr‐Volynskyi and Uzhhorod). In particular, 20 universities cooperated with the International Foundation for Social Adaptation and Nord University in the retraining process, and 12 NGOs took part in the process of psychological adaptation and employment assistance in the period from 2015 to June 2018.
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This analysis was performed by Nord University Business School / High North Centre, based on the interview guides and questionnaire developed by Associate Professor Bjørn Willy Åmo, researcher Olga Iermolenko and project coordinator Torstein Vik Århus. Data was collected by Olga Iermolenko and Torstein Vik Århus, in cooperation with Ukrainian partners in Ukraine in the period from February to June 2018.
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Method
Table 1 evidences that, in the period from 2015 to 2018, a total of 5341 people applied for 3679 positions, and 3538 people graduated. This implies that 96% of those selected for retraining and social adaptation managed to complete and graduate from the course. Table 1 further details at which location, which Ukrainian university provided which course in what time period, along with how many applicants there were, and how many of them graduated from the course.
The data used in this report stems from a survey among the participants who graduated from a course in the timespan 2015, 2016, 2017 and the first semester in 2018. The total graduates in this period numbered 3538.
10 Table 1. University partners, specialties and project participants in 2015‐2018 No City University partner Specialties / Semesters Applied 2015‐ 2017
Admitted 2015‐ 2017 Graduated 2015‐2017 Applied I sem. 2018 Admitted I sem. 2018 Graduated I sem. 2018
Sum Graduates 2015‐2018 1 Kyiv
University of Economics and Law "KROK"
Securing business entities in Ukraine (Spring 2015 – Autumn 2017) Construction and administration of modern IP‐based networks (Autumn 2015) Securing business entities in Ukraine (Spring 2018)
345 264 250 57 33 32 282 National Technical University of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”
Energy and resource efficiency (Autumn 2015 – Autumn 2016) 143 100 96 96 2
Vinnytsya
Vinnytsya National Technical University
Information technologies in business (Spring 2015, Autumn 2016 – Autumn 2017) Energy‐efficient management (Autumn 2015) Entrepreneurship and information technologies in business (Spring 2018)
216 171 166 49 34 34 200 Donetsk National University
Specialist in business efficiency (Spring 2015) Organizational management (Autumn 2015)
81 68 65 65 Certified Training Center ICSA ICF “EuroAsia” Social work (Spring 2015) 72 61 60 60
11 No
City University partner Specialties / Semesters Applied 2015‐ 2017 Admitted 2015‐ 2017 Graduated 2015‐2017 Applied I sem. 2018 Admitted I sem. 2018 Graduated I sem. 2018
Sum Graduates 2015‐2018 3 Chernihiv
Chernihiv National Technological University
Organization of business activities (Spring 2016) Internet technologies in business and web design (Autumn 2016 – Autumn 2017) Entrepreneurship in the field of travel and restaurant business (Spring 2017 – Spring 2018) Entrepreneurship in the field of recreational activities (Spring 2018)
266 200 192 134 72 71 263 4 Kropyvnytsky Flight Academy of NAU
Business management (Spring 2015) Organization of search and rescue operations (Spring 2015) Information technologies in business activities (Autumn 2015) Management and information technologies in business activities (Spring 2016) Entrepreneurial management (Autumn 2016) Business security (Spring 2018)
228 166 161 59 31 31 192 5 Dnipro National Metallurgical Academy Energy management (Autumn 2017 ‐ Spring 2018) 56 41 39 62 39 39 78 6 Zaporizhzhya
Zaporizhzhya State Engineering Academy
Small business organization (Autumn 2016) Organization of small business in the field of architectural and graphic design (Spring 2017) Organization of small business: IT in the field of design (Autumn 2017) IT in the field of design (Spring 2018)
124 95 90 53 30 30 120
12 No
City University partner Specialties / Semesters Applied 2015‐ 2017 Admitted 2015‐ 2017 Graduated 2015‐2017 Applied I sem. 2018 Admitted I sem. 2018 Graduated I sem. 2018
Sum Graduates 2015‐2018 Classic Private University Small business organization (Spring 2016) 41 33 30 30 7 Melitopol
Melitopol Institute of State and Municipal Administration KPI
Municipal administration (Spring 2016 – Spring 2018) 225 166 159 78 40 40 199 8 Mykolayiv
Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University
Web design and English language in the informational technologies (Spring 2015 – Autumn 2015) Practical web design: website design, creation and maintenance (Spring 2016 – Spring 2017) Entrepreneurship in the field of psychical rehabilitation and fitness (Spring 2016) Organization of entrepreneurial activities and information technologies in the sphere of small and medium business (Autumn 2017) Practical web design: website design, creation and maintenance (Spring 2018)
299 279 264 66 36 36 300 9 Odesa
South Ukrainian State Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushynsky
Business management (Spring 2015) (Izmayil) Administration of business activities (Autumn 2015) Business management (Spring 2016) Entrepreneurial management (Autumn 2016 – Spring 2018)
395 276 262 55 33 33 295
13 No
City University partner Specialties / Semesters Applied 2015‐ 2017 Admitted 2015‐ 2017 Graduated 2015‐2017 Applied I sem. 2018 Admitted I sem. 2018 Graduated I sem. 2018
Sum Graduates 2015‐2018 10 L’viv
National University “L’viv Polytechnic”
Internet marketing: the development of online business (Autumn 2015) English and visual communication in business (visual advertising) (Spring 2016) English and digital communications (Autumn 2016 – Spring 2018)
312 209 201 94 44 43 244 Ukrainian Catholic University Running your own business (Autumn 2016 – Spring 2017) 82 61 60 60 11 Lutsk
Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University
Organizational management (Spring 2015) Economics of energy efficiency (Autumn 2015 – Spring 2016) Entrepreneurial management (Autumn 2016)
203 144 137 137 12 Ternopil
Ternopil National Economic University
Accounting and audit in the field of services (Spring 2015) Private enterprise: organization, accounting and control (Autumn 2015) Entrepreneurship (Spring 2016 – Spring 2018)
540 330 315 64 32 32 347 13 Chortkiv
Ternopil National Economic University
Accounting and audit in the field of services (Spring 2015) Private enterprise: organization, accounting and control (Autumn 2015) Entrepreneurship (Spring 2016 – Autumn 2016)
232 157 151 151 14 Ivano‐Frankivsk Ivano‐Frankivsk National Technical
Energy management (Autumn 2015, Spring 2017 – Autumn 2017) Financial and economic security of an enterprise (Spring 2016)
204 126 120 58 30 30 150
14 No
City University partner Specialties / Semesters Applied 2015‐ 2017 Admitted 2015‐ 2017 Graduated 2015‐2017 Applied I sem. 2018 Admitted I sem. 2018 Graduated I sem. 2018
Sum Graduates 2015‐2018 University of Oil and Gas Entrepreneurship for sustainable development (Spring 2018) 15 Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi National Fedkovych University
Business security (Spring 2015 – Autumn 2015) Organization and business administration (Spring 2016 – Spring 2018) 298 185 176 51 30 30 206 16 Volodymyr‐ Volynskyi
National University “L’viv Polytechnic” Small and medium business management (Spring 2018) 42 33 33 33 17 Uzhhorod Uzhhorod National University Management of the tourist and hotel‐ restaurant sphere (Spring 2018) 57 30 30 30 Total 4362 3132 2994 979 547 544 3538
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Table 2 shows the 17 cities where the courses were offered, along with the number of respondents in each city. In total, 1077 graduates responded to our survey, giving a response rate of 30.4%. Figure 1 shows the location of the cities in Ukraine where courses were held.
Table 2. The 17 cities where the courses were offered, along with the number of respondents in each city.
City n
Chernihiv 76
Chernivtsi 78
Chortkiv 17
Dnipro 46
Ivano‐Frankivsk 52
Kropyvnytskyi 56
Kyiv 53
Lutsk 23
L’viv 88
Melitopol’ 133
Mykolaiv 76
Odesa 116
Ternopil’ 136
Uzhhorod 30
Vinnytsia 37
Volodymyr‐Volynskyi 16
Zaporizhzhia 44
Total 1077
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Figure 1. The position of the cities where the courses were offered
As indicated by Table 2, the courses were offered in 17 cities. As shown in Table 3, as many as 19 Ukrainian universities were involved. Table 3 also details which Ukrainian universities took part in the project, as well as the number of respondents among our sample of 1077 that graduated from a particular university.
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Table 3. The Ukrainian universities taking part in the project, along with the number of respondents graduating from each one.
Ukrainian university arranging course(s) n
Chernihiv National Technological University 76
Chernivtsi National Fedkovych University 78
Classic Private University 5
Ivano‐Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas 52
Kirovograd Flight Academy of NAU 56
Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University 23 Melitopol’ Institute of State and Municipal Administration KPI 133
National Metallurgical Academy 46
National Technical University of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” 7
National University “L’viv Polytechnic” 88
Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University 76
South Ukrainian State Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushynsky 116
Ternopil’ National Economic University 136
Ternopil’ National Economic University (Chortkiv) 17
Ukrainian Catholic University 16
University of Economics and Law "KROK” 46
Uzhhorod National University 30
Vinnitsa National Technical University 37
Zaporizhzhya State Engineering Academy 39
Total 1077
The data was collected by representatives of Nord University visiting all these 17 locations, except for Uzhhorod and Volodymyr‐Volynskyi. There, they had only one semester in 2018 and, at the time when we collected data, participants were still taking the course. They later completed their questionnaires at the graduation ceremony. The local university or NGO who was responsible for the course had called each participant and asked them to attend the data collection event. The local university/NGO ensured that only graduates attended. The survey was then handed
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out in paper format to each of the participators. The responses were then transferred from paper to electronic format and validated. The descriptive reports from the survey are then based on this validated data. The respondents answered the survey anonymously. Hence, no names or other identifying information link a person to any data.
In order to evaluate the respondent’s perception of the project’s contribution to specific objectives, a 7‐point Likert scale was applied. The items were then stated as:
To what extent do you disagree or agree with the following statements regarding yourself: 1=strongly disagree, 4=neither disagree nor agree, 7=completely agree? The responses were then graded from 1 to 7, where 4 is neutral.
Not all the respondents handed in a completed survey. This indicated that the totals reported in each of the tables and figures might vary, due to missing data elements.
Figure 2 shows the number of responses relating to a course held in a given year. The response rate for 2018 is 60.3%, as the students were addressed at the very end of the course. The response rate for earlier years is lower (2017: 35.1%, 2016: 23.6%, 2015: 8.6%). The local NGO might not have reached all former participants, as people changed mobile phone numbers, e‐mail addresses and moved to other cities, regions and even abroad. Attendance at the data collection event was voluntary but highly expected. Still, some might have been absent due to other appointments, job requirements or travel‐cost issues. We suggest that these are some of the reasons for the lower response rates for earlier years. Despite this, the overall response rate was as high as 30.4%.
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Figure 2. The number of respondents and of graduates in a given year.
NB! the numbers for 2018 relate to only one semester.
Table 4 details the titles of all 40 courses offered in the programme, as well as the number of respondents who were enrolled on each of them. A summary shows that 44% of the respondents’ courses relate to entrepreneurship or business management, while ICT‐related courses total 22%.
Table 4. The titles of all 40 courses offered in the project, along with the number of respondents who enrolled on each course.
Name of the course n
Municipal administration 133
Entrepreneurship 92
Practical web design: website design, creation and maintenance 78
Entrepreneurial management 76
Energy management 55
Business management 44
Accounting and audit in the field of services 41
Securing business entities in Ukraine 39
Organization and business administration 38
English and digital communications 32
Entrepreneurship in the field of travel and restaurant business 32
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
2015 2016 2017 2018
number of respondents per year, 2015‐2018 number of graduates per year, 2015‐2018
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Name of the course n
Management of the tourist and hotel‐restaurant sphere 30
Information technologies in business 26
Entrepreneurship for sustainable development 25
Entrepreneurship in the field of recreational activities 24 Internet marketing: the development of online business 22
Internet technologies in business and web design 20
Organization of small business: IT in the field of design 18
Small and medium business management 16
Private enterprise: organization, accounting and control 14
Running you own business 13
Entrepreneurship in the field of hotel and restaurant business 13
Economics of energy efficiency 10
Small business organization 10
Business security 9
Management and information technologies in business activities 9 Web design and the English language in information technologies 9
Financial and economic security of enterprise 8
Organization of search and rescue operations 8
Organization of small business in the field of architectural and graphic design 8 English and visual communication in business (visual advertising) 7 Entrepreneurship and information technologies in business 7
Organization of business activities 6
Organization of entrepreneurial activities and information technologies in the sphere of small and medium business
6
Administrator of business activities 4
Construction and administration of modern IP‐based networks 4
Energy and resource efficiency 4
Fundamentals of business communication. English language. 4 Entrepreneurship in the field of physical rehabilitation and fitness 3
Energy‐efficient management 1
Course name not provided by the respondent 79
Total 1077
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Descriptive statistics
The respondents were aged between 19 and 62, with the average age being 41 at the time of the survey. As many as 73.5% of respondents reported being in a relationship, while only 34.1% live in a household with no children. The average number of members of our respondents’ households is 3.8 people. Among our respondents, 11.6% reported living in a city with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, 26.8% living in a city with fewer than 100,000 inhabitants and 61.6% living in a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. As Table 5 shows, the sample consisted of 63.5% males and 36.5% females.
As Table 5 furthermore displays, there were 161 senior officers among the respondents; this figure represented 15.6% of the respondents, and among these 7.5% were females. Hence, the respondents represented military officers/soldiers (60.7 %) or their family members (32.6 %). The females entered the programme primarily as family members, and the females who entered the programme as military tended to have lower ranks than those of the project’s male military participants. The
“Other” group consists of volunteers, medical personnel, personnel related to back office or support systems associated with the military, and people who have not clearly identified their status.
Table 5 The gender and military rank/military relationship of the 1063 respondents
Military rank
% of Males in group
% of Females in group
Group % of
total Total #
Senior officer 92.5% 7.5% 15.6% 161
Junior officer 88.4% 11.6% 14.3% 147
Under‐officer 84.1% 15.9% 6.1% 63
Sergeant 87.4% 12.6% 10.8% 111
Soldier 86.8% 13.2% 14.0% 144
Family member 16.7% 83.3% 32.6% 336
Other 60.9% 39.1% 6.7% 69
Total 675 388 100% 1063
